Tag Archive: Karen Millen

Lately I have been trying to embrace the midi skirt, being more ladylike, and trying, and mostly failing to sometimes leave the jeans in my wardrobe for a little rest, and I thought afternoon tea at the Laura Ashley Elstree Hotel was the perfect occasion to show of this incredible cobalt blue Asos skirt in woven crêpe.

I bought this beauty for fashion week and my regularly size was too big, which basically made me jump for joy, so it feels good showing off this gorgeous skirt in a smaller size, and actually thinking I look slim for a change. I think this has a lot to do with the skirt, it is super flattering, beautifully cut, and the woven crêpe material really does make it look and feel more expensive than its £30 price tag. It is a steal of a price and this skirt will be an autumn/winter hero for me as I think it will work just as well with tights and a chunkier knit.

As I wanted to show of the high-waisted fit I wore it with my lightweight grey knit, also from Asos, I promise I didn’t intentionally raid my wardrobe for a head-to-toe Asos look – it just happened. I love this jumper, as not only is it super comfortable and soft to the touch but it also has the most adorable lace hearts on the elbows. I do love little quirky touches, and in my bride-to-be craziness I just thought the heart made my look bridal, I know it isn’t but I have weddings on my mind!!!

Maybe it is the longer length to the skirt, or the flattering high-waist, or even the bold colour, but I just find myself actually liking not only the way I look, but also feeling how happy I am in these pictures – if that makes sense. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate on myself, well not all the time, but I am not the most comfortable in front of camera, I know crazy that I am a fashion blogger, but maybe, just maybe I am getting a little more confident about featuring my style, only taken me nearly five years!

Sorry for the lack of blog posts this past week or so but I haven’t been too well, which sucks especially when you are in the midst of last-minute planning for a wedding, but it seems that my body decided, with a very public fainting episode that I needed to take it a little easier, and who am I to argue that.

But it seems that taking a back seat from Fashionista Barbie has made me miss my favourite doll so I thought I would ease back into blogging with this recent style post I snapped at Audley End House a few weekends ago when my Mum came to stay, plus I totally needed to share these fab James Jeans skinny jeans.

I love relaxing weekends visiting historical landmarks, I am kind of obsessed by architecture, but lately I can’t help but become consumed by the gardens at these stately homes when I visit in the hope that the gorgeous displays will magically appear in my own garden. Audley End is particularly pretty not only because of its Jacobean features, but also because it has such grand water features, impressive grounds, as well as some gorgeous floral displays. It is one of those places that literally just takes all the stress away. The only thing I think it could improve on is its cafe, it certainly wasn’t like visiting a National Trust property, but that just means that next time I come back it will be with a picnic basket stocked full of goodies.

As it was sunny but not crazy warm I decided to wear my new James Jeans ‘Twiggy’ skinnys, which when you see them off I even questioned whether I would squeeze myself into them, but the magic of these mid-to-high rise skinnys is that they have great stretch, and in this slate colour they really are rather forgiving. But what I really want to test out was the famous bum-lifting pocket tuck that James Jeans is known, which is probably why the likes of Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene and Jessica Alba wear them, as they really do make you feel amazing, and hopefully makes my arse look hot!!!

As it was a causal day I decided to pair these beauties with a shirt/jumper combo, perfect for the weekend, and I really do love the pop of pink under this grey and black jumper, and they both worked with my uber-bright Nike trainers for wandering around the grounds and house.

What I love most about this outfit is that it is one of those looks that you instantly feel good in and that you can wear again, and again, and best of all it really doesn’t require planning or thinking – it is just comfortable, and so me.

I know people are saying that skinny jeans are on their way out, but I just think that is coming from people who haven’t discovered their perfect pair yet, and trust me there is a pair out there to suit everyone. I really do think that skinny jeans have a place in everyone’s wardrobe, but I have to be honest I can’t wait to dig out my flares again!!!

It is sad that this was the final day of London Fashion Week SS15. Normally I feel a little relieved that it is over, I’m generally over the fashion week drama by day 5 and super tired, but this season there hasn’t been any drama, or if there has I haven’t witnessed it, my more relaxed schedule has meant I am not as tired, and I am actually ending the five days of fashion madness with a little sadness that the circus is all moving onto Milan without me **one day, I hope I will go too**.

Day 5 for me is always quiet, heck it is generally quiet for everyone, but without Ashish this season I am left with just two shows, the Tata-Naka presentation and my first visit to Fashion Scout to see the young designer George Styler, who was one of last season’s Ones to Watch recipients.

When a show starts with two shirtless models wearing nothing but printed swimming trunks, bling jewellery and gold embellished head-pieces you kind of know that it is going to be a fun and creative showcase. What I loved most about George Styler’s SS15 collection was the humour, the fact that he actually put on a show and I think the Vestibule in the Freemason’s Hall at Fashion Scout was the perfect location, as well as the intricate detailing from web-style knitwear, to bold embellishments and the Lady Gaga-esq bold shoulders and hips.

I really thought that the use of bright colours, the sexy dresses and decorative detailing really gave it a 90’s street-style-meets-Barbie vibe, which of course I loved. Some of my highlights had to be the vibrant pink kitty cat body, couldn’t you just see Katy Perry wearing this on tour, and another was the pink corset with gold detailing paired with the cutest rainbow-knitted cape. I also have to mention those incredible head-pieces, it was kind of like modern Egyptian headdress, it really did an extra element to the looks.

George Styler’s carefree spirit and bold creativity really has made him a designer to watch, he really did bring a fun and a modern vibe to his collection and wasn’t afraid to step away from the norm to be himself. I can only imagine his collection’s getting better and better.

As well as being sad about the whole no fashion week until February, I was also sad that this was my last The Apartment lunch at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, it has been nice to actually not eat on the go, to actually sit down with friends, and to enjoy delicious food rather than just chocolate bars and popcorn, which is generally my normal fashion week diet.

I have kind of been through The Apartment menu, I have had a falafel burger, a burger-less chicken pesterella, a goat’s cheese salad, too many chunky skin-on fries, as well as today’s chilli chicken salad, oh and because I have been extra naughty each day has been joined with a delicious chocolate milkshake, they are too good to refuse.

Onto my finally LFW look, it is probably quite similar to last season as come Tuesday the only footwear I can stand are trainers, today’s comfortable footwear option were my classic Onitsuka Tiger’s, which as well as looking amazing, that shade of pink is to-die-for, they are so comfortable.

I also think a ripped denim skirt goes perfectly with trainers, but this whole look was centred around my bargain Primark varsity sweatshirt, which go so many complements and looks of surprise when I told them it was from Primark. I just really loved that it was cosy on, it kind of made me feel like I could have been a cheerleader if I had pom-poms, and it was the perfect casual vibe for a final day of fashion week.

I don’t think this look would have looked so good if it hadn’t been for my Kardashian-like waves that Blow Ltd did for my hair. Nothing can make a girl happier and feel more confident than bouncy curls, especially when your hair is as straight as mine.

My final presentation was Tata-Naka, always a favourite to see as the presentation, live lookbook shoot really does let you get close-up and personal to the clothes, as well as the thinking behind what the designers are looking for.

For SS15 the collection was inspired by clean lines and the simplicity of modern architecture, drawing inspiration from the curve and the linear approach of architects Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid, which really came across in the silhouettes as well as the prints.

The designers use of a bright colour palette and floral prints were present, as was the use of texture, what surprised me was the use of black and white, which I thought really added balance to the collection.

The presentation also got top marks for handing out mini ice-creams, which was definitely needed as the weather has been surprising hot this fashion week.

So this isn’t the end of my fashion week coverage, I promise to share more pictures of the shows I loved, as well as gush about a few collections that I didn’t attend but adored/want to wear/want to see on the red carpet, and I will also be putting together a SS15 trends post.

An early start on a Monday after three long days is hard, but made all the more easier by knowing that there would be embellished goodness hitting the catwalk for Mother of Pearl, plus the Claridge’s setting isn’t a bad start to any morning.

But as it was early and a little chilly I went for my new Foggy London Rizzo Ida jeans by Donna Ida, I am a huge fan of her denim, I do believe that all jeans should be high-waisted, super flattering and with enough stretch to make them uber-comfortable. I have to be honest I think today’s look is my favourite, the most me, I loved the polka-dot co-ords but the combination of black, grey and a touch of red is just so what I love to wear.

It was also a day where I got to hang out with one of my favourite bloggers, who I am so pleased is my friend, Briony from A Girl, A Style, it was just so nice to take some time away from fashion week to just catch-up. Sometimes fashion week can be a little too full on and I am glad that this season I have realised that I can’t do it all.

Back to the fashion, Mother of Pearl for spring/summer 2015 is just gorgeous, inspired by the 60’s singer Sandie Shaw and her over-the-top embellished stage wear, as well as the ‘Kitchen Sink Dramas’ of the same era that brought about the silhouettes, colours, textures and prints. On top of all that goodness was a sporty aesthetic that really created a modern, relaxed and contemporary collection.

I promise I am going to bring you more from this gorgeous collection, I just didn’t have time to edit the crazy amount of pics I snapped, but here are some of my favourite looks, showing off the exquisitely crafted 3D embellishments, which were seen on dresses, two-pieces and even the oversized clutches, that I just adored.

I also really loved the juxtaposition of the jewelled creations paired with sporty looks, the pale pink hoodie with 3D embellishments on was amazing, and paired over a tennis-style dress was just perfection, I kind of wanted the whole outfit from top-to-toe.

I promise that I will share more pictures from the collection very soon.

Also at the Mother of Pearl presentation I came across the very handsome Sergio, The Outnet’s shoe hunter, who was accompanied by a very dashing model. I don’t know who was cuter, but I love that they had matching bow-ties on. A collective arhhh did go around the show space when they both walked in.

From one great London hotel to another, I went from old school at Claridges to modern chic at the ME London where the incredibly talented illustrator and designer David Longshaw was live illustrating onto a dress from his collection in the lobby. I admire illustrators a lot, more so when they have to do it on display and have people watch you, but the pressure of doing it directly onto a dress from the collection must have been crazy. But I think you have to agree it looks amazing – check out the Instagram video before that I snapped while I was watching him work.

Finally, my day 4 outfit, as I said one of my favourite looks, even though the sweatshirt I am wearing tomorrow is pretty cool. I think the thing that makes this look very ‘me’ has to be the colour combination, I do love black with grey, the denim jeans fit perfectly and boost my confidence knowing that I went down a few dress sizes, and I really love the slouchy vibe of this Quiz waterfall cardigan/jacket with lace sleeves.

In fashion week standards I get that this look is tame, but why is that fashion week means you can’t feel yourself, why do you have to opt for the extremes, sometimes I just want to wear a great pair of jeans, a comfortable pair of shoes, and finish off my look with a rucksack-come-handbag that fits all my fashion week essentials in, yep a day without having to take a canvas tote bag is a great day.

To complete my look I went for a waterfall braid from the Blow Ltd team at The Apartment, which I think might be my favourite so far, and means I am running out of options for what I want my hair to look like tomorrow.

I am slowly pushing myself to be a little braver with my fashion choices, so instead of black, black and a little bit more black, or denim and a comfortable jumper, or a cute skater skirt with a top, I am looking at clothes in my wardrobe that I love but haven’t really had the confidence to wear out.

So for a day trip to enjoy the Red Bull Air Race at Ascot a few weeks back I decided to give these fun MiH rose-printed red jeans an outing. These beauties are a little out of my comfort zone, my feeling was that they made me look chunkier in the thighs, and the bold colour really made me question whether they were really ‘me’, but after 30 minutes of convincing from my fiancé I decided to just go for it.

I didn’t go crazy out there, as I did pair them with my favourite colour black, but hey everyone has to start somewhere, and I really thought that the black boyfriend tee went really well and look good tucked in at one side, and because it wasn’t the warmest of days I finished off my look with a three-quarter sleeved blazer.

I think the confidence of loving my outfit made the day even better, does that happen to anyone else? I got a lot of compliments about my outfit, which is always nice, I felt comfortable and I actually think I look skinnier, maybe these jeans are a little more flattering than I gave them credit for.

It was a great day, helped by the sun shining for the majority of the day, there were the crazy race pilots whizzing through the blow-up gates, we had a dancing Chinook, the incredible Breitling Wingwalkers doing stunts on top of planes, and we even got a fly-by from the Red Arrows. Red Bull always know how to put on a great event and they never miss an opportunity to rock a great theme and the Race Club hospitality area was set out like a flying club from years-gone-by and I even got to meet Captain Bertie, which was such a highlight.

A couple of weeks ago the lovely girlies at Nextinvited me and a few of their favourite bloggers to see The Bodyguard for a girl’s night out and I wore this beauty of a pink lace dress. I was having so much fun, munching at STK London, catching up with my friends and then singing along to Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, boy can Alexandra Burke sing, that I totally forgot to get an outfit post. A crime I know for a fashion blogger!!!

What I love about this beauty of a dress is that it can be dressed up or down and it still looks so pretty, I think it is because the silhouette is so flattering and the lace is delicate and fun. To see The Bodyguard, I dressed it up with a statement necklace, a cute clutch and strappy black heels, but I love that it works just as well teamed with pumps for a day wandering around Cambridge.

I think the reason this dress works for a Sunday walk after brunch is the accessories, a pop of blue just works perfectly with this pretty pale pink hue. I love that it adds a touch of fun, which means that the addition of the denim pumps don’t seem too casual. Plus I love any reason to wear my new blue mini Links of London friendship bracelet that Paulie got me for my birthday, it works perfectly with my Shore Projects watch.

No matter how hot is out there, even the hottest day of the year so far, it seems that I still can’t help wearing black and chunky boots, it seems that my wardrobe and style is all about winter. Don’t get me wrong I have pretty dresses in summer hues, I get them out on occasions, it is just I prefer black. So my compromise, with myself to wear more summery clothes, is this adorable dark floral skirt.

I don’t have many floral prints in my wardrobe but this one appealed due to the darker vibe as well as the neon pink kick, plus it is in my favourite flattering skater skirt silhouette. I was going to pair this Primark beauty with a neon pink boyfriend T-shirt, but I just couldn’t find it, but my trusty black one was easy to find, I have like 10 of them!!!

But you know what, I think the print and bare legs make this look summery enough, I hope, but I do think a brighter or even white top would have made it pop even more in the sunshine. I think the extra sparkle of this gorgeous Next necklace and Citizen Eco-Drive watch helps though – they both really catch the light perfectly.